The modern section seems to make sense to me because it aims to cover all Theravada perspectives, from Buddha to Buddhaghosa to Buddhadasa... just like 'real-life' Theravada circa 2009, rather than circa 509.

Metta,Retro.

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7

jcsuperstar wrote:we could ask Dhammanando to lead it. maybe he knows some sutta learning scheme or what not so we'd have an order to do them in. also he could help with pali terms.

Due to the very limited time at my disposal, I would prefer to stick to chiming in rather than leading discussions. If leading, I would feel obliged to be online every day and to reply to every question, which I don't anticipate will be possible in the coming months.

I do, however, have one suggestion for group study: Ñāṇamoli's Life of the Buddha. This would be a good complement to Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words, consisting in like manner of passages from the Suttas, but with the first rather than the second refuge as its focus.

Best wishes,Dhammanando Bhikkhu

...and this thought arose in the mind of the Blessed One:“Who lives without reverence lives miserably.”— Uruvela Sutta, A.ii.20

It were endless to dispute upon everything that is disputable.— William Penn Some Fruits of Solitude,

I'm not sure that the sequence matters too much, since people will come and go, but I'd go for some of the Suttas from the Majjhima Nikaya. They are a nice size to discuss, and there is a lot of information in the form of talks and writings that could be used as background.

A small group here has done the first two fifties (I only joined midway through the second) and I guess we'll start on her notes for the last fifty in a month or two.

All of the above use the Nanamoli/Bodhi translation. They all take rather different approaches.

My suggestion would be to just have someone compile a list of maybe 50 suttas from the MN in some sort of order and discuss one per week. The easiest way to compile a list would be to just use Bhikkhu Bodhi's ordering:http://www.bodhimonastery.net/bm/images ... llabus.pdfOnce we had a list assigning Suttas to weeks it would basically run itself... Anyone could "kick off" the next week.

MettaMike

EDIT: Of course using Nanamoli's book or In the Buddha's Words would also be fine...

well the good thing about the MN is that i have a copy, wait i mean that there are alreay other places online we can get inspiration... and various monks who we can read from on how to see these discourses.

i'd be fine with that.

EDIT: i dont care what order theyre in, so i sugesst that those who have some sort of preference about this speak up and it'll be you guys who pick the order.

สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat

I think Mike's idea about following Bhikkhu Bodhi's program is a good one.

I'll start knock up something based on this.

Metta,Retro.

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7

jcsuperstar wrote:we could ask Dhammanando to lead it. maybe he knows some sutta learning scheme or what not so we'd have an order to do them in. also he could help with pali terms.

Due to the very limited time at my disposal, I would prefer to stick to chiming in rather than leading discussions. If leading, I would feel obliged to be online every day and to reply to every question, which I don't anticipate will be possible in the coming months.

I do, however, have one suggestion for group study: Ñāṇamoli's Life of the Buddha. This would be a good complement to Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words, consisting in like manner of passages from the Suttas, but with the first rather than the second refuge as its focus.

Best wishes,Dhammanando Bhikkhu

Too bad your idea was ignored Bhante. I had the impression that it was part of a Bhikkhu's job description to guide lay folk and our job to follow the Bhikkhu's lead.

It would help clear up a lot of odd notions folks have about the Dhamma if we spent time drawing close to Buddha, which study of his ife would do.

I did not find the biography online though - will have to buy the book, I reckon. I do have In the Buddha's Words though. Perhaps, if enough interested folk have that title, that can be studied also.

Bhikkhu Bodhi's outline of MN study will be helpful too, of course

This noble eightfold path is the ancient path traveled by all the Buddhas of eons past. Nagara Sutta

Bhante, like many other bhikkhus has many, many other duties that are off-line that we do not see, such as pastoral duties at his temple.

I am happy about the wealth of time that we do get with great monks like Bhante Dhammanando and the others who post here. We cannot expect the monks here to take on even more time than they already give us.

HI Bhente,Maybe you know of a couple of very good sites which translates selected words thoroughly so if you are unavailable these can be looked at?and do you know a link to the book By Nanamoli ? I have heard some good things about this book but keep forgetting about it!WMManapa

Dhammanando wrote:Hi JC,

jcsuperstar wrote:we could ask Dhammanando to lead it. maybe he knows some sutta learning scheme or what not so we'd have an order to do them in. also he could help with pali terms.

Due to the very limited time at my disposal, I would prefer to stick to chiming in rather than leading discussions. If leading, I would feel obliged to be online every day and to reply to every question, which I don't anticipate will be possible in the coming months.

I do, however, have one suggestion for group study: Ñāṇamoli's Life of the Buddha. This would be a good complement to Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words, consisting in like manner of passages from the Suttas, but with the first rather than the second refuge as its focus.

Best wishes,Dhammanando Bhikkhu

This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

Manapa wrote:Maybe you know of a couple of very good sites which translates selected words thoroughly so if you are unavailable these can be looked at?

There is the PTS Dictionary, but I don't know the link. I'm sure someone here will know it. Other than that I'm not very familiar with what's available online and would be relevant to your question. When I want to ascertain a word's meaning I prefer to go to the primary sources — the Tipitaka and its commentaries.

and do you know a link to the book By Nanamoli ? I have heard some good things about this book but keep forgetting about it!

Yes, everyone should get a copy of it. Unfortunately, as far as I know it's not one of the books that the BPS has permitted to be placed online.

Best wishes,Dhammanando Bhikkhu

...and this thought arose in the mind of the Blessed One:“Who lives without reverence lives miserably.”— Uruvela Sutta, A.ii.20

It were endless to dispute upon everything that is disputable.— William Penn Some Fruits of Solitude,

I was thinking we could do a sutta weekly, and in parallel, a book monthly for those who were interested.

Best I think for us to make the first book we review one which is also available to read online because sometimes books take a while to order and post. For the second text onwards it won't matter so much.

Anyhow, I'm going to close this thread now, so that future brainstorming can take in...

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7